A 2-Day Florence Itinerary: The Best Way To Spend 48 Hours!

We emotion the metropolis of Florence. It’s 1 of the astir enchanting, beautiful, and artfully affluent cities successful Italy and the cleanable spot to walk a mates of days earlier heading to the rolling hills of Tuscany.

We get a batch of radical asking america astir however to maximize their clip successful Florence, particularly arsenic they lone person 2 days to spare.

I get it, with truthful galore astonishing cities and destinations successful Italy to visit, sometimes our itineraries lone let a mates of days and it tin beryllium a hard task knowing however to acceptable each the apical attractions and highlights in.

Don’t worry, you tin spot a batch of Florence connected a 2 time trip, including immoderate of the astir iconic sites; The Statue of David, The Pitti Palace, and the Uffizi Gallery, to sanction a few.

If you’re not definite wherever to spell and what to spot successful Florence implicit 48 hours, past don’t worry, arsenic we’ve enactment unneurotic our champion 2 time Florence itinerary truthful you tin spot the champion of this astonishing city.

Is 2 days capable for Florence?

Florence presumption from Oltrarno

Before I get into this 2 time itinerary, you mightiness beryllium wondering if 2 days are agelong capable to spot Florence. Two days is the minimum magnitude of clip you request successful Florence to spot the highlights, but ideally, the 3 days would beryllium better.

The crushed for this is that determination are a batch of museums and creation galleries successful Florence that are worthy seeing, and galore of them instrumentality a fewer hours to get around.

The Uffizi Gallery, for example, is packed with immoderate of the astir renowned pieces of Renaissance paintings successful the world. It’s a assemblage you could walk a afloat time in, and not spot it all.

In 2 days, you tin inactive sojourn these museums and galleries, but your sojourn volition beryllium chopped short. You could maximize your clip by getting a guided circuit oregon audio guide, but you inactive mightiness consciousness that your sojourn is simply a spot rushed.

To marque definite you marque the astir of a two-day travel to Florence, this usher volition instrumentality you to the places successful Florence I would suggest seeing, and successful an bid that allows you to marque the astir of your time.

If you travel this 2 time itinerary of Florence, you’ll get to spot the main sites of Florence, specified arsenic the Duomo, Ponte Vecchio, and Gallerie Acadamia to spot the Statue of David, arsenic good arsenic spot immoderate of the astir vibrant neighborhoods to get a consciousness for section beingness successful Florence.

If you person much clip oregon program to travel back, past you tin research the aforesaid attractions we’ve mentioned below, but instrumentality your gait much leisurely truthful you tin walk much clip there!

The Best Florence Itinerary For 2 Days

Exploring the streets of Oltrarno

The pursuing itinerary is however I would suggest spending 2 days successful Florence. It’s not acceptable successful stone, and you tin instrumentality retired places that don’t involvement you oregon swap attractions astir based connected wherever you determine to stay.

Use it arsenic a usher and set it to suit your needs, clip frame, and budget.

The archetypal time explores the Oltrarno Neighborhood. This is simply a bohemian, quirky vicinity afloat of winding alleyways, quaint small java shops, boutique stores, and bars.

It’s wherever you’ll find galore of Florence’s astir iconic attractions, specified arsenic The Basilica di Santo Spirito and the Palazzo Pitti.

The Oltrarno vicinity has culture, relaxing nature, and awesome historical monuments. You tin work much astir however to walk a time successful the Oltrarno Neighborhood successful our implicit usher to the district.

The 2nd time features the biggest attractions successful Florence specified arsenic The Duomo and Uffizi Gallery connected the different broadside of the river, which is the astir touristic area.

You mightiness privation to swap the days around, depending connected what you’re astir excited to see. I truly enjoyed visiting Oltrarno connected our archetypal time and seeing Florence from that perspective. I deliberation if I did the different broadside archetypal I would person been implicit and underwhelmed!

Day 1

Stop 1: Boboli Gardens

Florence signifier Boboli Gardens

If your archetypal content of Florence is that it’s a small much crowded and bustling than what you’re utilized to, past you mightiness privation to easiness yourself into the Florentine mode of beingness by visiting the relaxing and historical Boboli Gardens.

Located crossed the Arno River, the Giardino di Boboli is simply a beautiful, English-style plot connected a hillside that was built by the Medici Family (you’ll perceive a batch astir them successful Florence).

The gardens day backmost to 1418 but person evolved implicit the centuries by generations of the Medici household and the Savoy family, who bought it from the Medicis. The parkland is the finest illustration of Renaissance landscaping and features manicured lawns, ornately designed fountains, and tree-lined paths.

Viottolone

The relaxing ambiance and stillness are the cleanable vibe to commencement your travel to Florence. We entered from the Piazzale di Porta Romana, the southernmost gate, truthful we could witnesser the Viottolone, a celebrated sloping pathway framed by cypress trees.

Even much beauteous was arriving astatine the apical for views implicit Pitti Palace and Florence.

Stop 2: Villa Bardini Gardens

View from Bandini Gardens

Just crossed from the Boboli Gardens are the Villa Bardini Gardens, which are overmuch smaller but nary little beautiful.

It’s a beauteous parkland to sojourn successful the Spring and is afloat of colorful flowers and Renaissance architecture.

There’s a fantastic terrace barroom astatine the apical wherever you tin drawback astonishing views of the metropolis with a blistery espresso, oregon an aperol spritz successful the day similar we did, They adjacent service nutrient here. It was 1 of my favourite views successful Florence.

Aperol Views

Wisteria Tunnel

Right adjacent present is besides the Wisteria tunnel, which is beauteous to locomotion through. It’s ace fashionable astatine the extremity of April erstwhile the wisteria is successful afloat bloom. Imagine walking down this beauteous floral passageway of violets and pinks with a fantastic panoramic presumption implicit the city.

Your summons to the Boboli Gardens besides gives you entree to Villa Bardini Gardens.

Stop 3: Pitti Palace

Pitti Palace

The Pitti Palace, oregon Palazzo Pitti successful Italian, is Florence’s largest palace that was erstwhile owned by the Medici family.

From the outside, it doesn’t look similar overmuch – the architecture doesn’t wow you arsenic overmuch arsenic the different buildings successful the city, but don’t fto the facade fool you!

On our best of Florence walking tour and learned that Eleonora di Toledo, the Spanish woman of Cosimo I de Medici, bought the Pitti Palace due to the fact that she recovered Palazzo Vecchio rather dull. So determination indispensable person been thing astir it that impressed her.

The backmost of Pitti Palace

On the inside, it’s location to 5 antithetic museums, including the Treasury of the Grand Dukes, the Palatine Gallery, the Imperial and Royal Apartments, and the Palatine Chapel connected the crushed floor.

Get your tickets successful beforehand for Pitti Palace here.

Stop 4: Ponte Vecchio

Ponte Vecchio and Oltrarno

Nothing says “I’ve been to Florence” much than a representation from the Ponte Vecchio, an iconic aged span crossing the Arno River that was built during Roman times.

The Ponte Vecchio is unsocial successful that it is made up of 3 segmental arches and lined with overhanging buildings.

The buildings were traditionally utilized arsenic shops, specified arsenic butchers and different tradesmen, nevertheless contiguous you volition find merchants selling jewelers, artwork, and of course, souvenirs.

It was besides 1 of the fewer bridges successful Florence to past the demolition caused by World War II due to the fact that the retreating German service spared it due to the fact that of its beauty.

Ponte Vecchio sunset

Ponte Vecchio is simply a fashionable spot for a Florence sunset, if you can’t marque it up to the champion sunset spot (see below)

Stop 5: Tuscan Food & Wine Tour

Babae Wine Window

Many of the sites mentioned successful this itinerary truthful acold you’ll walk by connected a Tuscan Food and Wine Tour successful Oltrarno, but this circuit is not each astir the sites – it’s astir the food!

You mightiness beryllium reasoning that nutrient successful Florence is your emblematic Italian cuisine of pizzas, pasta, and gelato, and portion you tin find this, determination are immoderate dishes that are unsocial to this region.

For example, Florence, and Tuscany successful wide for that matter, is good known for its vino and cheeses. Pecorino food is simply a celebrated food from this portion that’s made of ewes beverage and is creamy and delicious.

The celebrated Florentine Steak

Tuscan Fiasco

Another fashionable crockery you should effort is Florentine Steak, which is simply a staple crockery successful Florence. On a nutrient and vino tour, you get to sojourn the champion places successful the metropolis to effort this dish, arsenic good arsenic larn astir galore different important cuisines successful Florence.

Stop 6: Sunset from Piazzale Michelangelo

Piazzale Michelangelo sunset

After your walking nutrient tour, you’ll apt privation to find a bully spot to beryllium and respect the views. There’s nary amended presumption of Florence than from Piazzale Michelangelo.

The Piazzale Michelangelo is simply a quadrate that sits atop of a elevation overlooking the Oltrarno district.

The locomotion up isn’t long, but it’s steep and whitethorn beryllium a situation for those who are unfit.

Those who marque the effort though volition beryllium rewarded with the astir celebrated sweeping views of the full metropolis which has been replicated respective times successful postcards.

If you don’t privation to locomotion up the hill, different large sunset spot is the Ponte Vecchio, which lights up successful brushed hues of golden and orangish during aureate hour.

Now that’s a coffee

Gelato astatine Gelateria La Carraia

Day 2

Stop 1: Guided Walking Tour

Our Guided walking tour

If you privation to larn much astir the history, mode of beingness for the locals, and civilization of Florence, past the champion mode to bash that is connected a Florence Guided Walking Tour.

Walking tours instrumentality you to spot the highlights of the metropolis successful a “whistle-stop” fashion, but they besides let you to skip the enactment to spot immoderate of the astir celebrated attractions.

They are perfect for those visiting for a abbreviated clip and don’t person clip to spare queuing. You get skip-the-line entree to spot The Statue of David astatine Accademia Gallery, and it includes a ascent to the apical of the Duomo.

Stop 2: Accademia Gallery

Incredible

If you skip the walking circuit mentioned earlier, past you should astatine slightest marque definite you spell and spot the iconic Statue of David astatine Accademia Gallery – it’s perchance the world’s astir celebrated statue and a must-see for anyone visiting Florence, whether you’re an creation person oregon not.

There is thing rather similar seeing the statue up close. Its size, for 1 thing, is impressive. I didn’t recognize it was 17 feet gangly (5.17 meters)!

Up close, you tin spot each muscle, each vein, each curve of the assemblage – the attraction to item is thing abbreviated of breathtaking. It’s casual to spot wherefore it’s 1 of the world’s astir celebrated works of art.

Get your timed summons for this attraction here. Even though we were connected a guided circuit with skip the enactment privileges, we had to hold successful enactment for astir 30 minutes. Without a timed ticket, you’ll beryllium waiting overmuch longer.

Stop 3: The Duomo, Baptistry & Bell Tower

The astir celebrated attraction successful Florence is the Cathedral de Santa Maria del Fiore, much affectionately known arsenic “The Duomo.”

This imposing operation dominates the skyline and would person been hard to miss if you followed the itinerary from yesterday and visited the Piazza Michaelangelo.

It was constructed successful 1296 successful a Gothic benignant but was lone consecrated successful 1436.

It’s astir celebrated for its dome, known arsenic Brunelleschi’s Dome, which has been decorated with fresco paintings and gilded details connected the inside. If you opt to ascent to the apical of the Duomo you walk a balcony that gives you a person look astatine the dome.

One of the main reasons to sojourn The Duomo is to ascent the stairs to the apical of the dome to spot astonishing metropolis views. Fair informing though, if you’re acrophobic of heights, you’re not going to similar this!

The viewing platform is rather skinny, and adjacent though crowds are controlled, it does consciousness alternatively crowded up there. If climbing the dome is for you, then publication your tickets successful advance.

the Bell Tower and Dome of the Duomo

Alternatively, you tin ascent The Campanile, different known arsenic Giotto’s doorbell tower, conscionable crossed the Piazza del Duomo. This requires you to hike up 414 stairs to get an unthinkable view, but if you person a fearfulness of heights I recovered this viewpoint to beryllium little scary to locomotion up.

However, if you lone person clip to ascent 1 acceptable of stairs, the presumption from the dome is overmuch better.

Your entranceway summons to The Duomo besides grants you entree to The Baptistery, which dates backmost to the 11th century, making it 1 of the oldest buildings successful Florence. It’s celebrated for its bronze doors, designed by Ghiberti’, and are affectionately called the “Gates of Paradise” (they are reproductions, the originals are successful the Duomo Museum).

You tin sojourn the Duomo for free, but lines tin beryllium long. If you privation to skip these, then acquisition a skip the enactment pass. Or get aboriginal alternatively and bushed the lines that way!

Don’t hide to screen your shoulders and knees. If you forget, determination is simply a hawker adjacent acceptable to merchantability you a scarf!

Stop 4: Lunch astatine Central Markets

Food Hall successful Florence

The Central Markets, besides known arsenic The Mercato Centrale, are the cleanable spot to halt for lunch. This historical marketplace hallway was built during the clip of the Risanamento, the play erstwhile Florence was the superior of Italy successful the precocious nineteenth century.

They are inactive utilized by the locals contiguous who travel present to store for caller nutrient of fish, meat, and vegetables.

On the apical floor, determination is simply a nutrient tribunal wherever you tin find Tuscan and planetary dishes. The nutrient tribunal is made up of small, independently-owned restaurants, vino bars, and taprooms utilizing caller nutrient from the marketplace to marque fantabulous and affordable meals.

It’s a large spot to drawback a freshly made pizza oregon hearty sandwich. The nutrient tribunal is unfastened from 10:00 americium to midnight, truthful you tin travel backmost successful the evening for meal if you’re struggling to determine which edifice to devour at.

We enjoyed our luncheon present astatine the markets, but determination wasn’t a batch of options if you’re gluten free. I was jealous I could not devour the cannolis and pastries tempting maine from respective stores. Savannah says, “deliziosa!”

Stop 5: Uffizi Gallery

Michelangelo’s The Doni Tondo oregon Doni Madonna

If you’re coming to Florence to acquisition its historical creation scene, you cannot skip the Uffizi Gallery. It’s the astir renowned assemblage successful the metropolis and wherever you tin spot archetypal pieces from the 14th-century Renaissance period’s top artists, including Raphael, Botticelli, Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio, and more.

Some of the astir notable pieces successful the assemblage are ‘The Birth of Venus’ and ‘Primavera’ by Sandro Botticelli, ‘The Venus of Urbino’ by Titian, ‘Medusa’ by Caravaggio, and a self-portrait of Raphael.

I would accidental that it’s the astir important spot successful Italy for art, intimately followed by possibly the Sistine Chapel successful The Vatican oregon The Galleria Borghese successful Rome.

As this is the astir celebrated creation assemblage successful the city, you indispensable book your entranceway walk successful advance to debar the queues and marque definite you tin summation introduction erstwhile you privation to, arsenic tickets are often sold retired connected the day.

The walk allows you to skip the line, but you inactive request to prime up your summons from the counter.

I volition admit, I americium truly lone funny successful modern creation galleries, and adjacent past I don’t bash overmuch of them, but I truly enjoyed Uffizi. I wasn’t expecting to and lone squeezed it into our itinerary arsenic I knew however large and important it was. I’m blessed to report, it was truthful worthy it. For america a speedy circuit done (about an hour) was plenty.

Stop 6: Piazza della Signoria

Neptune fountain

Piazza della Signoria is conscionable extracurricular the Uffizi Gallery and is simply a bustling quadrate known for its beauteous statues and fountains.

The astir celebrated of which is the Fountain of Neptune and a replica of the Statue of David.

Piazza della Signoria was erstwhile the governmental halfway of the metropolis and was wherever the celebrated Bonfire of the Vanities was held.

It’s a large quadrate to drawback an espresso from 1 of the surrounding cafes and ticker the tourists click distant astatine their cameras.

Florence Duomo views from View connected Art

Map of This 2 Day Itinerary for Florence

To assistance you navigate this 2 time Florence itinerary, present is simply a representation of the attractions mentioned successful this guide. I’ve besides included different places to devour and portion that I discovered successful Florence during my probe that I was funny in! You tin prevention a transcript of the representation and past edit arsenic you spot acceptable for your Florence visit.

Getting Around Florence

Looking up astatine Viottolone.

Getting astir Florence is truly casual arsenic everything is wrong walking distance. Simply enactment connected a comfy brace of shoes and locomotion everywhere!

The roads are often cobbled and uneven though, truthful marque definite you person level shoes.

Otherwise, determination is simply a autobus strategy that connects the main metropolis halfway to the suburban neighborhoods.

Where To Stay In Florence

Our edifice country successful Florence

We truly enjoyed our enactment at Hotel Palazzo dal Borgo connected the main tourer broadside of Florence which we booked utilizing points. It had a large location, a abstracted country for the girls, a canopied bed, and included meal successful their beauteous courtyard garden. See rates and availability. And you can spot our Reel of it here.

Although, we didn’t enactment there, I’d urge radical enactment successful the Oltrarno vicinity erstwhile visiting Florence due to the fact that it’s ideally located adjacent the main attractions but without the sound and chaos of the main metropolis center. We loved it determination conscionable similar we did, Trastevere successful Rome for akin reasons.

Friends person stayed astatine the Hotel David successful Oltrarno and said it was an perfectly beauteous edifice successful a bully determination – adjacent to the halfway but acold capable truthful that you don’t get each the night-time noise.

The rooms are spacious and comfy and travel with WiFi, escaped parking, and a edifice that has a gluten-free menu. It’s family-owned and operated, truthful you consciousness similar they attraction for their guests and privation to marque you consciousness astatine home.

Best Time To Visit Florence

Boboli Gardens

Florence is simply a metropolis you tin sojourn immoderate clip of the twelvemonth since astir of the attractions are indoors, however, if we had to prime a season, outpouring would beryllium our favourite clip to sojourn Florence. This is due to the fact that the parks and gardens are awash successful colour arsenic the flowers bloom and the writer shines successful the brushed due.

The summertime is the highest play to sojourn Florence and is usually precise blistery and crowded.

The wintertime is simply a spot cold, but quiet, with less tourists visiting the city. The lone downside to wintertime is that often it snows, which does adhd a definite quality to the city, but makes flying successful and retired of the metropolis a symptom arsenic flights are often canceled owed to the snow.

Before You Go: Last Minute Tips For Visiting Florence

Santo Spirito

Lastly, earlier you go, I person conscionable a fewer tips for visiting Florence to assistance you maximize your 2-day trip:

• Wear comfy shoes. Walking is the optimal mode to get astir Florence truthful marque definite you person a bully brace of walking shoes.
• Go rogue from this itinerary! One of the champion ways to spot a metropolis is to simply locomotion astir down random streets and acquisition the less-traveled paths.
• Book your depository tickets successful advance. The queues for tickets tin beryllium long! Save yourself immoderate clip and publication successful advance.
• Try the wine! Don’t hide to halt into 1 (or a few) of the countless vino shops (enoteca) to find retired what Tuscany is celebrated for!
• Don’t spell excessively chaotic connected Espresso. The java successful Italy is simply a batch stronger than what you mightiness beryllium utilized to backmost home, truthful if you’re not large connected caffeine past don’t spell excessively chaotic connected this.
• Download maps. It’s ever a bully thought to download an offline map, specified arsenic Google Maps oregon MapsMe successful lawsuit your information is unreliable. You tin download our representation of this itinerary above.
• Book tiny radical walking tours straight done our preferred circuit companies: LivTours, Walks of Italy, and Devour Food Tours. All person been tested and approved by yTravel!